Sheet-feeding machine



C. E. CHRISTOPHEL.

SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

. Y APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26,1919- 1 1 357 12, r I Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

G. E. CHBISTOPHEL. SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB, 26, 1919.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2- //VV N705 W/T/VESSES ATTUF/VEYS C. E. GHRISTOPHEL.

SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1919.

Patnted N0m 2, 1920.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

nywgxvra QM/C C. E CHRISTOPHEL.

SHEET FEEDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB.26, 1919.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

5 SHEETSS HEET 5- A rmk'n/frs UNITED STATES CARL n omus'rornnn, or PEARL RIVER, NEW roan,

PATENT OFFICE.

ASSIGNOR.TO DEXTER FOLDER COMPANY, OF PEARL RIVER, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK,

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N 2 1920 Original application filed October 9, 1918, S eriaI No. 257,517. Divided and-this application filed February To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CARL E. CHRIs'roPHEL, a citizen of Germany, residing at Pearl River, county of Rockland, State of ,New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Feeding Machmes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention was originally embodied 1n my co ending application Serial No. 257 ,51' filed Sctober 9, 1918, and therefore COIlStI- tutes a .division of said application. It relates to that class of sheet-feeding machines in which the upward feed of a pile-carrying table is subjected to the control of certaln instrumentalitieswhich become operative. when the height of the pile becomes reduced below a certain minimum limit and which operate to terminatethe action of said table feed as soon as the top of the pile has been raised to a certain maximum l1m1t. primary object of this invention is to provide improved pile raising means, which becomes operative upon a new pile of sheets as soon as a preceding pile has become exhausted; To accomplish-this object, my invention contemplates a reversible feed drive shaft in connection with chains or the'like which maybe secured at opposite ends to different pile-supporting tables so that as soon as the pile is exhausted from one table, the table-feeding mechanism may at once become actively operative upon the other table merely by reversing the pile feeding operation. Other objects of invention will appear in the specification and be pointed out'in the claims, reference being-had to the accompanying drawings which show my invention in a preferred embodiment. In

the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a sheetfeecling machine embodying my invention, parts being omitted for the sake of clearness,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same,

Fig. 3 is a rear diagram of the operating connections for imparting a pile elevating movement,

.Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the main clutch mechanism,

Fig. 5 is a top plan view oft'he same Fig. 6 is aside elevation on an enlarged scale of the pile elevatin'gratchet feed mechanism.- i

In the embodiment of my'invention shown on the drawings, base sockets 1 may be secured to the floor by any suitable means and The 26, 1919. Serial No. 279,353.

serve to'mount the uprights or standards 2 which are rigidly connected at the top by .the top rails 3. Rigid with thetop rails 3 are suitable brackets or bearings for joiirnaling the'shafts 4 which extend on horizontal axes along'opposite sides of the machine. Keyed to the shafts 4 are sprockets 5 over which run the double-ended chains 6.

-is provided with a disk '10 provided with sockets 11 which: are adapted to receive a pin or lever for oscillating the rod. 9, said rod being provided with grooved portions 12 which mesh into similarly grooved undersurfaces of the I-beams 13. The outer ends of the rods9 are provided with bifurcated sockets 14 which slidably engage the standards 2, at least one of saidsockets 14 being movable endwise on the bar 9 to permit it to be taken from the machine when desired. The I-beams 13 are adapted to support the paper table 15 whith, before it is lifted by the I-beams 13, may rest upon suitable rollers 16 journaled in standards 17 which rest in sockets in foot supports 18, said foot supports being pivotally connected at 19 to the base sockets 1.' It will be seen from this description that the chains 6 may be moved in either direction, so that when aspaper table- 15 has been elevated almost to the upper limit of its movement, another paper table may be attached to the lower end in readiness to receive another pile of sheets which in its turn will be fed upwardly by reversing the direction of rotation of the shafts 4. Adjacent to the sprockets 5 on the forward ends of the shafts 4 are keyed worm wheels 20 which mesh with worms on a transverse shaft 21 provided with a suitable socket 22 for the reception of a crank (not shown). Keyed to this shaft is a gear 23. Cooperating with the gear 23 as shown best in Fig. 3 is a planetary system, comprising a rotary plate or disk 24 provided with radial sockets 25, 26, 27 and 28 which are adapted to receive the end of a threaded bolt 29 which is mounted in a threaded socket 30 secured to the frame of the machine. The bolt 29 is provided with a hand grip 31. Rotatably 32 which is journaled on a stud 198 and which, according to the positions shown in c Fig. 3, is interposed between the gear 32 and a gear 34 which is keyed to astub shaft 1 by the caliper mechanism to throw the seg-' carried by an oscillatory block 39.

35. Also keyed to the shaft 35 is a ratchet 36 which is adapted to be moved by a pawl 37 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 38 A spring rod 40 reciprocates in a post 41 and carries a compression spring 42 which is interposed between the post 41 andacollar 43 which is secured to the rod 40. A pin 44 serves to pivotally. connect the block 39 to one end of a slotted link 45, and is provided at its other end with a slot 46 within which reciprocates a crank pin 47 carried by the rotary disk 48. As shown in Fig. 5, the disk 48, which rotates about the axis of shaft 49 is rigidly connedted to a gear 50 which is meshed with a gear 51 keyed to the stub shaft 52. Also keyed to the stub shaft 52 is a bevel gear 53 which meshes with a bevel pinion 54 keyed to the drive shaft 55. The shaft 49 is the cam shaft or main drive shaft of the feeding machine, the gear 50 and disk 48 being freely journaled' thereon. Keyed to the cam shaft 49 is a disk 56v which 'is provided with a clutch pin 57, said clutch pin being normally engaged by a clutch lever 58 which is pivoted at'59 on a; pin carried by the gear 50. Said clutch lever is provided with a spring arm 60 to which is pivotally connected a spring rod 61 upon which is mounted a spring 62 tending to hold the clutch lever 58 and pin 57in engagement. A segmental cam 63 is reciprocable axially of the cam shaft 49 and over the peripheral surface of the disk 56. Said cam 63 is provided withpins 64 which are reciprocably mounted in the bracket 65, one of said pinsbeing extended inwardly and provided with an inclined groove 66 which cooperates with a cam plate 67 carried by a cam arm 68 which is keyed to a transverse shaft 69 which may be operated at will, or

mental cam 63 into and out of position to intercept the cam roller 70 which is journaled on a pin 71 carried by the cam lever a 58. Whenever the cam roller 70 is forced to travel over the segmental cam 63, the clutch lever 58 is left out of engagement with the clutch pin 57 and the cam shaft 49'is discon nected from the driving train. As shown in Fig. 6, the shaft 35 has keyed thereto a dog 72 with which cotiperates a lever arm 73, Whichswings freely about 'a pin 74 which projects laterally from the bracket 65. As long as the arm 73 looks the dog 72, the oscillatory block 39 isprevented from being forced in a clockwise direction to bring the pawl 37 into engagement with the next tooth toward the right, which would cause the ratchet 36 to be moved one tooth during the next displacement of the slotted link 45.

' The pile holding table is thus held at a fixed elevation until such time as the arm 73 is moved out of engagement with the dog 72 to permit the movement just referred to. For this purpose, an arm 7 5' which is keyed to a rock shaft 76 is adapted to be moved into engagement with the lever arm 73 at a moment when the cranking pin 47 has reached the left end of its travel and thus served toremove the tension of spring 42 from the lever arm 73. ,The rocking movement of the shaft 76 corresponds with the vertical movement of the forwarding mechanism shown and described in my above of the link 45 causes the pile to be raised step by step intil such time as the following movements of the sheet forwarders is limited sufliciently to prevent the arm 75 from engaging the lever 73.

lReferring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the

armature gear 162 of the motor 163 meshes with the larger gear 192 of a compound of which the smaller 193 meshes with a gear 194 on a shaft 195. Keyed to the shaft 195 is a gear 196 which meshes with,an idler 197, said idler being adapted to mesh with gear '32 (see Fig. 3) for driving shaft 211100 in one direction or to esh with idler 33 for driving said shaft in the opposite direc: tion.

The parts being in theposition shown in Fig. 2 according to which the pile on the upper table is supposed to be exhausted, it

now becomes necessary in putting the second pile into action, to raise the lower set of bars 9 until the I-beams 13 lift the paper table 15 from the rollers 16. For this purpose, the motor 163 -is preferably used, since it operates more rapidly than the regular table-elevating mechanism to bring the parts intostarting position. Depending upon which direction the chains -66 are to be fed, the planetary system is adjusted by releasing the bolt 29- from its socket 28 in the disk 24, after which a handle 198 carried by the disk 24 is employed to revolve the planetary system until either the gear 32 or gear 33 is brought into mesh with the gear 197. If it is necessary to 32 is just sufficient to fill the gap between;

21 for this purpose. Furthermore, the intermeshing gears 32 and 33 protrude the same distance from the axis of revolution of the disk 24 so that when the gear 33 is to be put into mesh with gear 197 for driving in the opposite direction, the planetary system is revolved until the socket 26 is opposite the bolt 29. The bolt 29 having been forced home, gear 197 transmits power through gears 33, 32 and 23 to shaft 21, the I-beams 13 being rapidly raised until they lift the paper table 15 from the rollers 16 after which the bolt 29 is withdrawn and the planetary system moved to the position shown in Fig. 3, in which the table-lifting mechanism is operated automatically depending on the condition of the pile with reference to the forwarding suckers. Whenever it becomes necessary to reverse the step by step feed from that provided in the arrangement of parts shown in Fig. 3 a counter clockwise revolution of the disk 24 which is rotated step by ste by ratchet 36 7 depending upon the height of the paper pile.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character de' scribed, uprights or standards, paper-carrying tables, meansslidably engaging said uprights or standards for movably supporting said tables, and means movable in either of two opposlte directions for imparting Vertical movement to said tables, said table-supporting means including rods provided with sockets for slidably engaging said uprights or standards, said rods being movable into and out ofoperative position.

2. In a machine of the character described, uprights or standards, vertically movable rods slidably engaging said uprights or standards, powerdriven shafts arranged substantially in the planes of movements of said rods, flexible means operated by each of said shafts and having opposite ends thereof connected to different rods, and means for rotating said shafts in opposite directions.

3. In a machine of the character described, uprights or standards, vertically movable rods slidably engaging said uprights or standards, power driven shafts arranged substantially in the planes of movements of said rods, flexible means operated. by each of said shafts and having opposite ends thereof connected to diiferent rods, and means for rotating said shafts in opposite directions, said means including a motor, a shaft geared to each of the firstmentioned shafts, and'a planetary system interposed between said motor and the second-mentioned shaft.

4. In a machine of the character described, uprights or standards, vertically shafts in opposite directions.

movable rods slidably engaging said uprights or standards, power-driven shafts arranged substantially in the planes of movements of said rods, flexible means operated by each of said shafts and having opposite ends thereof connected to different rods, and means for rotating said shafts in opposite directions, said rotating means including a power transmitting shaft, a disk osbillatable upon said shaft, a gear keyed to said shaft, a pair of meshing gears journaled on said disk, one of the last-mentioned gears being in mesh with said gear keyed to the shaft, and a gear driven by said motor and into mesh with which either of said meshing gears may be moved by the oscillation of said disk.

5. In a machine of the character described, a power driven shaft, flexible means operatable by said shaft-in either of two directions, said flexible means being adapted to be connected at either end to a pile supporting table, and means for rotating saideshaft in either direction said rotating means including another shaft connected to the first-mentioned shaft, a gear keyed thereto, a power driven gear, and a pair of intermeshing gears revoluble about the axis of the second-mentioned shaft to connect said power driven gear to the gear on the second-mentioned shaft through one of said intermeshing gearsor through both in train.

6. In a sheet feeding machine, uprights or standards, oppositely arranged rods slidably engaging said uprights or stand ards, a pile-supporting table carried by said rods, sh'eet feeding means adapted to feed sheets from the top of said pile, rotary shafts arranged'above said rods respectively, flexible members movable by each of said shafts one end of each of said flexible members being detachably connected to one of said rods, other rods slidably en gagingsaid uprights or standards and connected to the other end of said flexible members, another paper table carried by said other rods, and means for rotating said 7. In a sheet feeding machine, uprights or standards, oppositely arranged rods slidably engaging said uprights or standards, a pile-supporting table carried by said rods, sheet feeding means adapted to feed sheets from the top of said pile, rotary shafts arranged above said rods respectively, flexible members movable by each of said shafts one end of each of said flexible members being detachably connected to one of said rods, other rods slidably engaging said uprights or standards and connected to the other end of said flexible members, another paper table carried by said other rods, and means for rotating 'said shafts in opposite directions, said means inmeans adapted to be connected to both of said tables, said means being adapted when moved in one direction to move one of said tables and when moved in another direction to move the other of said tables, and means depending upon the height of the pile on one of said tables for operating said table moving means.

9. The combination with sheet feeding means, of a plurality of pile supporting tables for moving successive piles of sheets to be operated upon by said feeding means, means adapted to be connected to both of said tables, said means being adapted when moved in one direction to move one of said tables and when moved in another direction to move the other of said tables, and means depending upon the height of the pile on one of said tables for operating said table moving means, said pile controlled means being reversible to successively move said tables. I

10. The combination with sheet feeding means, of a plurality of pile supporting tables for moving successive piles of sheets to be operated upon by said'feeding means, means adapted to beconnected to both of said tables, said means being adapted when moved in one direction to move one of said tables and when moved in another direction to move the other of said tables, and means moving means, said /'pile controlled -=-means including a gear operated by said machine independently of the last-mentioned gear,v

depending on the height of one of said piles, a gear for driving said table moving means, a pinion in mesh with the last-mentioned gear, andan idler in mesh with said pinion said idler and pinion being revoluble about the axis of the last-mentioned gear to bring either said idler. or said pinion into'mesh with the first-mentioned gear.

11. In a machine of the character described, a vertically movable pile holding table, sheet feeding means operating upon the top of a pile of sheets carried by said table, a gear driven by-"said machine depending upon the height of a pile of sheets on said table, a gear for raising or lowering said table, a pinion in mesh with said gear, and an idler in mesh with said pinion, said pinion and idler being revoluble about the axis of the last-mentioned gear to bring the said pinion or said idler into mesh with the first-mentioned gear to move said feed table either upwardly or downwardly.

12. In a machine of the character describedfa pile supporting table, sheet feeding means operating on the top ofsaid pile, means for moving said table upwardly or downwardly, a step by step feeding mechanism under the control of said sheet feeding mechanism, a continuously movable feeding V g mechanism, and reversible means movable alternatively into and out of operating connection with said step by step feeding mechanism or said continuously movable feeding mechanism.

13. In a machine of the character de-' scribed, a pile carryingtable movable upwardly or downwardly, a shaft rotatable in opposite directions to transmit an upwardof a pile of sheets on said feed table for imparting a step by step rotation to the other of said other gears, a pinion in mesh with the first-mentioned ear, an idler in mesh with said pinion, said pinion and idler being revoluble about the axis of the firstmentioned gear, to bring either said pinion or said idler into mesh with'either of said other gears.

CARL E. CHRISTOPHEL. 

